§ 33-86. Definitions.

As used in this article the following terms shall have the meanings respectively ascribed to them as follows:

City shall mean the City of Galveston, Texas, or its designated representative.

City attorney shall mean the city attorney of the City of Galveston or the designated representative.

City auditor shall mean the city auditor of the City of Galveston or the designated representative.

Consideration means the cost of the room in such hotel only if the room is one ordinarily used for sleeping, and is two dollars ($2.00) or more per day, but shall not include the cost of any food served or personal services rendered to the occupant of such room not related to the cleaning and readying of such room for occupancy.

Convention center facilities or convention center complex shall mean civic centers, civic center buildings, auditoriums, exhibition halls, and coliseums that are owned by the city or other governmental entity or that are managed in whole or part by the city. The term includes parking areas or facilities that are for the parking or storage of conveyances and that are located at or in the vicinity of other convention center facilities.

Director shall mean the director of the department designated by the city manager to enforce and administer this article, or the city manager's designated representative.

Hotel means any building or buildings, trailer, or any other facility in which the public may, for a consideration, obtain sleeping accommodations. The term shall include hotels, motels, tourist homes, houses or courts, lodging houses, inns, rooming houses, bed and breakfast, condominiums, dormitories where bed space is rented, apartments not occupied by permanent residents, and all other facilities where rooms or sleeping facilities or space or other buildings where rooms are furnished for a consideration, but does not include:

(1)

Hospitals, sanitariums or nursing homes; or

(2)

A dormitory or other housing facility owned or leased and operated by an institution of higher education or a private or independent institution of higher education as those terms are defined by V.T.C.A., Education Code § 61.003, when used by the institution for the purpose of providing sleeping accommodations for persons engaged in an education program or activity at the institution.

Lodging provider means any person owning, operating, managing or controlling a hotel in the city, including, but not limited to, the owner or proprietor of such premises, lessee, sublessee, lender in possession, licensee or any other person operating such hotel and who is subject to collecting and remitting the tax imposed upon guests.

Occupancy means the exclusive use or possession, or the exclusive right to use or possess, any room or rooms in a hotel if the room is one ordinarily used for sleeping and if the occupant's use, possession or right to use or possession extends for a period of less than thirty (30) days.

Occupant or guest means any individual, corporation, governmental agency, partnership or association, who has paid consideration for the exclusive right to use, possess or has the exclusive right to use or possess any room or rooms of sleeping space or facility in a hotel under any lease, concessions, permit, right of access, license, contract or agreement.

Permanent resident means any occupant who has or shall have the right of occupancy of any room or rooms in a hotel for at least thirty (30) consecutive days during the current calendar year or preceding year.

Person means any individual, company, corporation or association owning, operating, managing or controlling any hotel.

(Code 1960, § 20-39; Ord. No. 12-015, § 2, 3-22-12; Ord. No. 15-053, § 2, 6-25-15 )